SB 4.21.48

TEXT 48

TEXT

वीरवर्य पितः पृथ्व्याः समाः सञ्जीव शाश्वतीः ।
यस्येदृश्यच्युते भक्तिः सर्वलोकैकभर्तरि ॥ ४८ ॥

vira-varya pitah prthvyah

samah sanjiva sasvatih

yasyedrsy acyute bhaktih

sarva-lokaika-bhartari

vira-varya-the best of the warriors; pitah-the father; prthvyah-of the globe; samah-equal to in years; sanjiva-live; sasvatih-forever; yasya-whose; idrsi-like this; acyute-unto the Supreme; bhaktih-devotion; sarva-all; loka-planets; eka-one; bhartari-maintainer.

TRANSLATION

All the saintly brahmanas thus addressed Prthu Maharaja: O best of the warriors, O father of this globe, may you be blessed with a long life, for you have great devotion to the infallible Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the master of all the universe.

PURPORT

Prthu Maharaja was blessed by the saintly persons present at the meeting to have a long life because of his unflinching faith and his devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although one's duration of life is limited in years, if by chance one becomes a devotee, he surpasses the duration prescribed for his life; indeed, sometimes yogis die according to their wish, not according to the laws of material nature. Another feature of a devotee is that he lives forever because of his infallible devotion to the Lord. It is said, kirtir yasya sa jivati: "One who leaves a good reputation behind him lives forever." Specifically, one who is reputed as a devotee of the Lord undoubtedly lives forever. When Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was talking with Ramananda Raya, Caitanya Mahaprabhu inquired, "What is the greatest reputation?" Ramananda Raya replied that a person who is reputed as a great devotee has the greatest reputation, for a devotee not only lives forever in the Vaikuntha planets, but by his reputation he also lives forever within this material world.